Who Will Your Peers Be In 2016?

Considering it’s the holidays, I’ll keep it short and sweet! This is the time of year when many of us think about New Year’s resolutions and goals for the upcoming twelve months. This year, I invite you to try something different. For each goal you identify, make a list of the peers who will help you achieve that goal – whether it’s a personal or professional pursuit.

Who you surround yourself with matters, and your peers can play powerful roles depending on what you require. For example, you may need encouragers – people who will be there to cheer you on when sticking with your goal becomes most challenging. You might find advisors to be effective – peers who have the specific knowledge and/or technical expertise to help you successfully navigate any challenge that may come your way. Or, if you’re the type of person who needs help maintaining the discipline that’s often so necessary to being successful, think about peers as accountability partners. These are people with whom you share the same goal, who can empathize with your highs and lows, yet will relentlessly keep you on course – and vice versa.

Think about the people who are at your side today. Do they lift you up, hold you at bay, or worse yet, drag you down? The more people you surround yourself with who will lift you up, offer you positive guidance, and join you on your journey, the more likely you are to achieve your 2016 goals. Years ago, Runners’ World writer Joe Henderson said that success isn’t always about doing something extraordinary, it’s usually about doing what anyone can do, but they just don’t. Food for thought as you set your goals and identify the people who will help you realize them.